Lies (Phoenix Undercover #1) (11 page)

Chapter 25

Josh

“To another very successful deal.” Leo lifted his bottle of whiskey in the air and gestured to the entire room. “We make an exceptional team, my friends.”

Tonight was my eleventh night away from Gabby. The shipments and distributions were growing and happening more often, and women were being trafficked in and out along with enough drugs to supply half the city. The whole operation made me sick, and we still hadn’t seen Roman. But why would he risk showing up when he had so many men risking their safety to bring him the money that made his cushy life possible?

Still, something about this entire mess didn’t seem right to me. Roman put entirely too much trust in Leo, and I found it harder and harder to believe he wouldn’t at least check up on things in person.

The party Leo was putting on tonight felt different than the others. The atmosphere felt tense, and I had an uneasy feeling deep in my gut. Not only did we have alcohol and women, but the drugs were flowing freely. Pills had been passed around earlier, and when Mike, Greyson, and I were offered our own, we each accepted. Greyson covered his mouth with his hand in a show of tossing back the pill. He immediately followed it with a big drink of beer. From the way he cupped his hand around the lower part of his bottle, I knew he had just pulled a chug-and-spit. The pill would dissolve in the beer, hidden by the dark glass of the bottle, and he could easily swap it for a fresh one. Mike and I followed suit, both mirroring Greyson’s actions. The problem now was that we had to convincingly pretend to be stoned out of our minds.

As the night went on, the women multiplied. We still hadn’t seen our girls, which bothered me, but I had to keep my mouth shut and appear as if they were the last thing on my mind. Leo sat in the center of the room with a giggling girl on either side of him. I had to turn away when the blonde pulled out his cock and straddled his lap.

Mike narrowed his eyes at me and nodded toward the three men sitting about ten feet away from us. They were younger, and by the looks of it, pretty fucked up. He began moving in their direction, and I followed closely behind. Greyson quickly joined us as we took a seat on the stools near them, and they were too busy going on about a party they went to a few nights ago to notice us. Their voices were slurring, and one almost fell backward as he reenacted the “epic” sex he’d had. Apparently, orgies involving the prostitutes were common. I was more than happy we had missed out on those types of parties so far. Pretending to have sex in the middle of the room surrounded by every person we were trying to fool would have been impossible.

“Fuck, when Leo gave us those three young ones and told us to have a good night, I swear to you I was panting like a fucking dog,” he said. “The way they screamed as we all took our turns…never thought that shit would be such a turn-on.”

I instantly saw red. They had to be talking about our girls.

I stood up so fast the chair behind me fell to the floor from the force of my movement.

“Wow, brother.” Greyson jumped up and gripped my arms, pretending to steady me. “You’ve had one to many.” He leaned in a little farther and whispered, “Let it go, Josh. It’s fucked up, I know that. But we can’t react. Not now, not here. We’ll get ’em out.”

My heart was fucking racing and my legs shook. I fisted my hands and took deep breaths to control the rage burning through me. It was then I looked toward Leo and found him staring at me over the shoulder of the girl still straddling his lap. I nodded and tipped my beer toward him. He nodded in return and let his eyes wander back to the girl riding him.

“I’m gonna fucking make him pay,” I vowed in a whisper. “He’s going down, Grey.”

***

I wandered around the warehouse, taking in everyone’s movements and whereabouts while making sure to appear as if I was having a good time. When I reached the other side, I stopped near the front door, once again scanning the room and keeping my ears open for any useful information. Movement from my left immediately caught my attention, and I looked up to see Leo standing a few feet away.

“Leo,” I said in greeting.

“Not enjoying the party, James?”

“Just taking it all in,” I replied as I looked over the room once more, doing my best to avoid his curious eyes.

“I think it’s time for me to show you what I brought for you,” he said, placing his hand firmly on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “A special gift.”

“You’ve thanked me already, Leo. No need for anything further,” I assured him. The intense way he was watching me was making me nervous.

“I see it a bit differently, James.” He kept his hand on my shoulder as he led me toward the center of the room where less than two hours ago he’d fucked the blonde with everyone watching. “I’d like to offer you something I have never before offered.”

He stopped before the couch and removed his hand from my shoulder. Pointing toward it, he told me to have a seat, then sat in the chair across from me.

“My Farrah,” Leo announced like I was supposed to know what that was. “She is my girl. Sweet, blonde, and sexy. I offer her to you as a thank-you.” He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. I looked up as Nicolay stood from a chair on the other side of the room and walked toward the side door.

Adrenaline pumped through me, and I suddenly felt nauseous. I looked around, trying to hide my hesitation from Leo.

“I have many girls, James, but offering you Farrah is the highest gratitude I can offer.”

I heard him talking, yet my eyes were locked on the blonde who was now approaching. She wore the tightest red dress I had ever seen and matching heels. Her head hung forward, causing her golden waves of hair to cover her face. She staggered a little as Nicolay guided her closer with a firm grip on her arm.

“She has been waiting patiently for this,” Leo said as he leaned forward and ran his hand over her exposed thigh. “I’ve told her about you, and I have seen the intrigued light in her eyes. She likes to explore.”

He ran his palms over the outer sides of her thighs, pulling her skirt up as he did. The white lace of her panties came into view, followed by the glimmer of a jewel hanging from her belly button ring. He inched the dress over her breasts, and they spilled out freely with no bra covering them. Leo then carefully lifted the dress up and over her head.

The moment her face came into view, my heart felt as if it stopped beating.

“I would like you to meet my Farrah,” Leo announced as he cupped her breast roughly and she winced.

I bit down on the inside of my cheek so fucking hard I tasted blood. The air in the room grew thicker as I looked into ocean-blue eyes that matched Gabby’s. Audrey stared back with a glazed look in her eyes, her pupils dilated. She had clearly been drugged out of her mind.

I stood and took a step toward her. “I appreciate the gift, Leo. I will be sure to take great care of her.”

When I reached for her hand, he grabbed my wrist. “Farrah stays here where I can see her.” He nodded toward the couch. “Have a seat, James. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to watch her please you.”

I met Audrey’s stare and could see the fear in her eyes. We were both about to be forced to do something that we knew would destroy Gabby.

Leo ran his finger over Audrey’s shoulder and down her arm. When she looked at him, he offered her a reassuring smile.

“Go show James just how fuckable that mouth of yours truly is,” he whispered to Audrey as he stepped back and took a seat on the couch opposite mine. The smile on his face made me fucking ill, yet the thought of Audrey doing what he had just directed her to do was even worse.

She knelt before me and lifted her hands to the buckle of my jeans. Tears glistened in her eyes as she mouthed the words
‘I’m sorry’
, and I closed my eyes tightly to fight off my own horror and sorrow.

Time froze, and I opened my eyes to meet Leo’s curious stare. He was watching me closely, and I knew in that moment my cover was in jeopardy. But I wasn’t sure I could follow through with this. The situation was ripping me apart from the inside, and I could tell Audrey was feeling it too. Her palms were pressed firmly on either side of the zipper of my jeans, and her eyes were closed tightly as if she was trying to mentally prepare herself for the next step.

“I know he is not me, sweetheart,” Leo cooed from behind her. “But just imagine his cock is mine.”

I looked back to Audrey, and her throat bobbed with a hard swallow. Without opening her eyes, she lowered my zipper and reached beneath the waistband of my boxers. My legs tensed when she wrapped her hand around me and slowly pulled me free.

“That’s it,” Leo instructed, and the sound of his voice was making it extremely hard to hold my shit together. “Just like that, sweetheart. Glide that perfect pink tongue of yours over his cock.”

A single tear rolled over Audrey’s cheek, and my fucking heart seized. She slowly opened her mouth, and the wetness of her tongue shocked me as she slid it over the head of my cock.

My tongue felt three sizes too big as I tried to swallow the bile that had begun to rise in my throat.

“All the way now. Why are you hesitating?” Leo demanded.

Anyone behind me who was witnessing this would see just how difficult this was on both Audrey and myself. So many emotions ran through me as I tried to fight down my disgust and anger. I knew this would be something that would forever haunt me.

Her lower lip quivered, and it took all the strength I had not to grab her and run out of the warehouse. But that would only get us both killed, plus Mike and Greyson would be placed in danger as well.

Audrey’s lips touched the head of my dick, and she took in a shuddering breath before lowering her head and taking me into her mouth. Leo didn’t seem pleased by how slow she was going. He stood from the couch, stepped toward us, and shoved her head down, forcing her to take me all in. She gagged, and he chuckled before stepping back.

I was already starting to stand up from the couch when Audrey began to cough. She pulled off me and covered her mouth, but it was too late. Vomit spilled out from between her fingers and covered my lap.

I had never in my life thought someone puking on me would be a good thing, yet I couldn’t have been happier for the timing.

“You stupid bitch,” Leo spat as he yanked her back by her arm. To add to my act, I threw out a few
what the fuck
s and
nasty bitch
es as well.

“Get her out of here,” Leo instructed Nicolay as he grabbed Audrey’s dress from the floor and threw it against her chest. She wouldn’t look at me as Nicolay dragged her toward the exit and out the door.

“Well, so much for the greatest blowjob of your life.” Leo chuckled as he sat back on the couch and shook his head. “One you will never forget, but not for the reasons I had promised.” It was a little fucked up how Leo could go from such a state of rage to amusement in a matter a seconds. It just assured me I was right in thinking he was completely unstable. His laughter ate away at my last bit of resolve. I had to get some fucking distance before I strangled him until his body went limp in my hands.

“I guess I better get cleaned up,” I growled as I stood and walked toward the office upstairs, feeling dirty and disgusted. Once I reached the bathroom tucked away in the back corner, I shut the door and locked it. Leaning over the toilet, I emptied the contents of my own stomach as I envisioned the hurt in Gabby’s eyes when she found out what had just happened.

Knowing Audrey was tied up in Leo’s world didn’t sit well with me, either. I knew getting her out of this darkness should be my top priority, and my mind raced with possibilities. How would I ever look Gabby or her family in the eyes if something happened to Audrey, worse than what she had already gone through?

Hell, how would I ever be able to look Gabby in the eyes and act as if everything was the same?

I would have to keep what had happened between Audrey and me a secret, and it would haunt me forever.

Chapter 26

Gabriella

Today was one of the most productive and successful days in a long time, which seemed strange, considering my heart just wasn’t fully in it. I couldn’t stop thinking of Audrey, because none of us had heard from her yet. I hadn’t heard from Josh, either, and I just wanted him near. I needed his reassurance that everything would be all right, because right now I wasn’t sure it would be.

I exited the elevator on my floor and shifted my bags to my other arm as I dug in my purse for the apartment key. When my fingers brushed against my key ring in the bottom left corner of my bag, I felt a small sense of relief that I had remembered to grab them off the counter this morning, considering I had locked myself out at least three times in the last two weeks. My head was so scrambled with worry over Audrey and missing Josh that I could barely focus.

I slid the key into the lock, and before I could twist it, the door flew open. Brook stood in the doorway, her eyes full of tears as she held her phone to her ear.

My heart sank, and my legs grew weak. I stepped inside quickly, ushering her backward so I could close the door behind me.

“Mom,” Brook whispered, and I began to shake. Chills covered my skin as the worst possible scenarios flooded my mind. “Okay,” her voice cracked with emotion. “Are you sure?”

I closed my eyes tightly, allowing my head to sag as I tried to remain patient. “Call us if you change your mind.”

I looked up just in time to see Brook end the call, and her eyes immediately met mine. “She’s back.”

Chills broke out over my body again, and I fell to my knees in relief. Taking in a few deep breaths, I tried to stay in control, but it was hopeless. All the emotions that had built up over the last few weeks rushed through me at once, and I started sobbing uncontrollably.

Brook knelt beside me and wrapped me in her arms as I cried. I don’t know how much time passed, but I finally stopped as I reached the point of exhaustion. As my lungs heaved, my heartache turned to anger as I remembered how frightened we’d been. How could she put us all through that? What the hell was she thinking?

“Where was she?” I asked as I pulled away from Brook’s hold and stood.

“She just showed up a couple hours ago. Mom said she looked good, rested even.”

“Well isn’t that just great,” I snapped, growing angrier. “She disappears almost three weeks ago without a word. Then she shows back up like nothing happened. Meanwhile, the rest of us have gone through hell worrying about her.” My hands were shaking now as I dug through my purse for my phone.

Brook stood back watching me as if I had lost my mind. And maybe I had, but nothing about what Audrey had just put us through was okay. As I angrily tapped the numbers on my phone, Brook stepped up to my side.

“Gab, what are you doing?”

I spun around, giving her my back. Right now, I couldn’t wrap my head around my own actions. I just knew I was beyond pissed. My rage had taken over my mind like a fucking disease, and I couldn’t stop myself from exploding.

Audrey’s happy greeting as she answered her phone destroyed my last ounce of self-control. “We fucking thought you were dead, you selfish bitch,” I yelled.

Brook gasped.

“I’m sorry,” Audrey said, “I just needed—”

“You just what, forgot about our parents? Forgot you have two sisters that were worried sick? We called the cops and reported you missing, and then we find out you haven’t even been to your apartment in months. What the hell is going on with you? Are you that self-centered that you don’t give a shit about any of us? That you didn’t think how we would take you disappearing without any trace?”

My chest was heaving and my throat burned as the words flew from my mouth.

“You run off to clear your head. To relax and get a break from reality while we all sit around jumping at the sound of every phone call, and you want to know why?” Deep breath. “Because every fucking time that phone rang, we feared it would be the one where they told us they found your body. Do you even fucking care?”

“Gabby…”

I heard the pain in her voice, but it was nothing compared to the hurt and anger that had taken me over. “I never once thought you could be this selfish. I always looked up to you, but now I’m so disgusted by what you put us through that I…” My words got caught in my throat, and instead of continuing, I just hit
End
and dropped my phone to the counter.

Brook just stood there staring at me in silence as I turned toward the hall and slowly walked to my room. Once inside, I lifted the covers and crawled beneath the sheets without bothering to undress. A strong sense of defeat washed over me as I once again began to cry into my pillow.

***

I was awakened by a strong arm wrapping around my midsection. When I looked over my shoulder, my eyes met Josh’s in the light shining into the room from the hall. It was dark outside, and I wasn’t sure what time it was, but he was here. He was in my bed looking back at me, and suddenly the tears began to fall once again.

I buried my head against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me even tighter. “Shh, it’s okay,” he assured me, but all I could do was shake my head.

It wasn’t okay. Nothing about my world was okay right now. I hated my sister for what she had done, I was in love with a man I barely got the chance to see, and I felt like I was losing my fucking mind. I was always on edge, depressed by the things I couldn’t change, and I hated feeling so helpless.

“My sister,” my voice broke, and Josh rubbed my back soothingly.

“I know, baby. Brook told me.” I was relieved she had, because I wasn’t sure I had it in me to go through the entire thing again. “I know right now you’re pissed, and that’s understandable. But maybe when things calm down, you’ll talk it out with Audrey.”

I lifted my head and looked up into his eyes. They shifted away from mine as if he was having a hard time looking at me.

“Things aren’t always what they seem, Gabby. And maybe one day you’ll step back and see it from her point of view,” he whispered, and his voice was laced with something I had never heard before from him. I just had no idea what it was.

I arched my neck, bringing my lips close to his. I just wanted to feel his lips against mine, yet as I closed the distance, he turned and kissed the side of my mouth.

“Go back to sleep, Gab,” he whispered. I nodded and turned away without arguing, stung by his rejection.